


Coming Through the Gate

by emmykay



Category: ALL OUT!! - Amase Shiori (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romantic Friendship, Rugby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 15:30:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8719117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmykay/pseuds/emmykay
Summary: Six times Sekizan wanted to confess to Hachiouji, and one time he did.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Coming through the gate - a phrase used in rugby, defined as 'additional players may join the ruck, but must do so from behind the rearmost foot of the hindmost team mate in the ruck; this is often referred to as "coming through the gate"' (wikipedia)

_First try._

Run. Throw. Catch. Kick. _Tackle._

The sounds of bodies smacking into each other, the grunts and cries of players immersed in combat, the thunder of thirty pairs of feet running, hurtling headlong into melee, fighting for centimeters of field.

It was dirty, filthy, appalling. Even the words, the descriptions of the plays were atrocious. Ruck. Scrum. _Maul._

Sekizan Takuya's first year in high school was a revelation. Takuya had never heard much about rugby before high school, but when he saw it, when he experienced it, he loved it. It was when he met Hachiouji Mutsumi, it was when he first started playing rugby. 

One day in the early summer, as the rest of the squad was breaking up from practice, Hachiouji broke off from his training to come over and flop down on the field next to Takuya. "I love rugby," he sighed, smiling. 

Takuya turned to say something, and then stopped. He was looking at Hachiouji. When he saw Hachiouji, it wasn't that he didn't see the boy still playing to make the starting team, still striving to be in the scrum, sweating as hard as he did, his already-barrel-shaped chest heaving for breath, covered in dirt, and mud where the sweat had layered in between the dirt, in a play-bedraggled uniform and an ugly padded head-protector. It was that Takuya saw all those things and that Hachiouji was still smiling like an angel.

That's when Takuya knew. As much, and as suddenly, as Takuya loved rugby, he loved Hachiouji. He loved - was in love with Hachiouji Mutsumi. The revelation smacked him so hard in between the eyes, Takuya didn't know what to think.

"I love - rugby, too," Takuya said, clipping off what he almost said, grateful that he managed to cover it up. But there was no way in hell he was going to tell the guy that was rapidly becoming his best friend that he was in love with him.

"C'mon," Hachiouji said, hauling himself up, and then extending a hand to Takuya. "We got a lot more to do before we can finish practice."

"Yeah," Takuya said, allowing his hand to be taken.

* * *

_Second try._

It had been their second year that Taira had made his interest evident.

At the post-game social event, something that had been started by Keijo, the two teams ate, drank, and mingled.

"Hey, hey, you guys have a thing?" Taira asked, trying to get an arm around Takuya. 

Hachiouji was coming towards them, and then, visibly checked himself in mid-step.

"What?" Takuya asked, absently, looking at Hachiouji's eyes tracing Taira's arm over Takuya's shoulder.

"I mean, you and that hooker."

"I don't know who you mean," Takuya said. Had Hachiouji heard? Seen something? There was something funny in Hachiouji's expression, something wistful, something sad before he stepped away, his face curving upwards into a laugh at someone's joke. Takuya shook off Taira's arm. "We don't have a 'hooker.' Our number two is Hachiouji. Is that who you mean?" 

"Yeah, you and Hachiouji got something going on?"

"That is - that's none of your business," Takuya said, surprised.

"I mean, he's always around you. But if there's nothing going on - does this mean I have a chance?"

"What?" Takuya looked at Taira blankly. 

"With you?"

"I'm taken, Hachiouji is my - he's -" Takuya said.

"Ah. Good to know," Taira said. "But you should say something to him, and soon." Taira gestured over to the corner, where a big Keijo player was saying something in a serious manner to Hachiouji, who was intently nodding.

"What?"

"He's over there with our number one, Hisagawa. Guess he's got a thing for captains."

"I don't think he'd do that - " Takuya said, abruptly turning to walk over to the little group.

"Good to have this little talk," Taira said to Takuya's back. He sighed dramatically as Takuya walked away. "Maybe next year."

When Takuya reached Hachiouji and Hisagawa, he found he had absolutely nothing to say. The two of them had been talking about their favorite players, and the past Hanazono series that had been televised that winter.

Hachiouji turned to Takuya, his smile welcoming, his hand rising to lay on Takuya's shoulder. "Hey. Is it time to leave already? The food's gone, the other players are starting to leave."

"Only if you're ready," Takuya said. "We have to get the rest of the team together."

"No problem," Hachiouji said, excusing himself.

"Man," said Hisagawa to Takuya, as Hachiouji walked away. "You better get on that situation, otherwise, he's the kind of guy who would have a lot of other options, you know? Even though he's a little goofy-looking -"

"He is perfect!" Takuya gritted out, the words shooting straight into a really, really inconvenient hole of silence in the conversations around them. _shit._

"Have you told him that?" Hisagawa asked.

"Uh - ?" Takuya looked around and saw that most of the team had already left the room, and then gave a relieved sigh.

"Right," Hisagawa said. "So that's now it is."

"Yes." Takuya gave a tight little nod.

* * *

_Third try._

"Hey - is that a white hair?" Kamo asked. 

Takuya turned, surprised. They were all changing into their jerseys in the club room before practice. Maybe it was when he was bending over to pull his shirt off that Kamo noticed.

"Hey, let me look again." Kamo, along with some of the other second years, inspected his scalp.

"Does that mean that being in rugby is turning you into an old man?" Matsu asked.

"Ah," Hachiouji said, not looking up from digging through his bag, finally unearthing a copy of _Japan Rugby_. "I'm sure it's nothing. I started greying when I was twelve."

"What?" Takuya went to look in a mirror. And there it was, a strand of white in the middle of his dark red hair. More than that, there was a few strands in the other side of his part.

"I think I'm going to dye it," Takuya announced. "Make it look fierce. Scary to other teams."

"What color?" Hirota looked sceptical.

"Bleach it," suggested Shinosuke. 

Ebumi started to laugh. "We can pick up some bleach at the store on the way home!"

"Curl it," advised Ise.

"He's gonna have to cut it first," said Takebe.

"No, he doesn't," said Kashima. "A man can have long hair if he wants."

"If he bleaches it and curls it without a good cut, it's gonna look like unicorn butt hair," said Kasuga.

"That's great, coming from someone who looks like a scared cat all the time!" sneered Hirota.

"What?!" cried Kasuga, rising with his fists at his side.

"Both of you guys just forget it," Matsu said, breaking up the sudden tension.

"What about the bleach?" Ebumi asked. "There's this one brand I really like."

"Mutsumi, what do you think?" Takuya asked, needing an opinion that really mattered.

"Doesn't matter what I think," Hachiouji said, dismissing the entire conversation. "If you really want to do something, you can. And if you don't, then it doesn't matter. You look great anyway." And then he smiled. 

Takuya couldn't help smiling in return. 

"Hey! You married guys can go have your conversation somewhere else!" Kamo called.

It was hard to pretend not to hear, not to act like he revealed anything new, because Takuya knew he hadn't, but it was hard to believe he was as transparent as that. Hachiouji was Takuya's best friend, his confidante and someone he completely trusted. He wished he could say what was in his heart. But this was totally the wrong time, wrong place, and the absolutely worst audience.

"Besides," Hachiouji slapped Hirota's and Kasuga's backs, and grabbed at the back of Kamo's shirt. "We can go to my house and try out all this shit on all of you. My sister can practice her apprentice beauty technician skills and then Sekizan can decide which he wants. She only failed "Bleaching and Dye" three times, guys! The fourth time is bound to be the charm!"

"NO - " and the club room cleared out faster than a house full of teenagers that just realized all the food was gone. 

"Well, damn," Hachiouji said, and he sounded like he was going to laugh. "She passed straight hair cutting on the second try!"

* * *

_Fourth try._

It was a lazy weekend day, the late afternoon sunlight pouring in through the wide window of the small bedroom. The bedroom was papered with rugby posters and covered in sporting paraphernalia. Takuya was sitting on his bed looking over a book of sports history, Hachiouji was cross-legged on the floor, scanning through the latest issue of _Japan Rugby._

"Hey, how long have we known each other?"

Hachiouji lifted his head, looking a little puzzled. "Three years."

Takuya hadn't meant to say that out loud, hadn't meant to give voice to that concern, but, having said it, he thought it best to keep going. "How come you always call me by my last name, Mutsumi?"

Hachiouji blinked. And then, looked flustered. "You want me to call you by your first name?"

"I call you by your first name - since first year."

"Oh." Hachiouji swallowed. "It's, well. I think of you as, as - well, you know - ah - Sekizan."

"You can call me by my first name, you know. I'd like for you to." 

"Uh." Hachiouji said, "Okay. T-t-tak - " he took a breath. He hurried "Takuya," all the sounds, the hard consonants and the soft vowels all mashed together in one low, breathy rush.

"Oh," Takuya said, his own voice soft, and he felt himself warm up at the sound. It was peculiarly intimate, his name - on Hachiouji's lips - in that way. He instinctively looked around the room, somehow needing for the two of them to be alone, for no one else to know how Hachiouji had said his name like that.

"That okay?" Hachiouji asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Takuya said.

"Okay, then." Hachiouji was as pink as Takuya felt. 

"I - I - " and this wasn't the time either to declare how much he loved hearing that, to hear it in that way, as if it was something more than just his first name said by so many other people. Takuya wished he could blurt things out like some of the other guys on the team, and be free, instead of thinking too hard about everything and coming off as intense as he did.

They looked at each other. 

"Um. That okay?" 

"I - uh." Takuya couldn't find the words to describe how he felt in a way that seemed reasonable to him. "Nah. Maybe not."

"So. Okay," Hachiouji said, nodding agreeably. "I gotta get going." 

"I'll see you at school. Mutsumi." 

Hachiouji tried to smile. "Sekizan."

Takuya tried to balance the two ways he heard Hachiouji say his name. "Yeah," Takuya said, finally. "That might work better."

Hachiouji grabbed his bag and was gone.

Takuya felt a kind of emptiness that Hachiouji was gone. He knew himself to be an asshole, and an idiot. Also, kind of relieved. 

Takuya collapsed on his bed, grabbing a flower-print pillow and stuffing it over his face. God. He was an idiot. He didn't want to make Hachiouji feel bad, but god. How do you tell your best friend that hearing him say your name, in that way, that made you think about the way he might say your name while in bed with you, made you pop a raging boner?

The worst thing, though, wasn't that. It was that Takuya knew he was going to remember the way his name sounded coming from Hachiouji for a long, long time.

* * *

_Fifth try._

Takuya knocked on the door of the little house. "Mutsumi! You still coming?"

"Yeah, come in," replied Hachiouji, audibly hustling down the stairs. "I just gotta - " his voice dried up as he opened the door.

"What?" Takuya asked, entering the house, dressed in a lime-colored yukata covered with purple and pink flowers.

"Nothing, nothing," Hachiouji said, looking downward at his simple outfit of white t-shirt and black shorts. "That's what you're wearing, huh?"

"It is a festival, and at a shrine that's dedicated to sports. It just seems right."

"Give me a sec. I just gotta change." Moments later, following the sound of frantic scrabbling above Takuya's head, Hachiouji hurtled downwards, dressed in a navy and white striped yukata, backpack over his shoulder. As he walked by, Takuya caught a whiff of something that was a little less than spring fresh, but acceptable. Still, it was nice that Hachiouji changed.

They got on the train, got off, and walked for several minutes. At the end of their journey was a long flight of stone steps, leading up to a torii and a squat building just barely visible beyond. A large crowd of people were arrayed all around the property, some selling wares, others food, still others games of chance.

"Dang, that corn smells good," Hachiouji said, sniffing as they walked by the roasted ears of corn.

"Shrine first," Takuya said, his goal clearly defined.

They climbed for a while. When they finally reached the shrine, they washed themselves at a small basin and approached the shrine. They prayed for victory then clapped to finish the ritual. 

They went off to the side of the shrine, where a waist-high plain stone slab waited. Hachiouji opened his backpack, pulled out a rugby ball and handed it to Takuya. 

Takuya hesitated. "You brought the ball. You want to do it?"

"No, you're the captain. You should do it."

Takuya spun on the rugby ball on the shrine, and hoped it was enough. It was a little gesture, probably meaning nothing, but the simple act made him feel simultaneously foolish and hopeful.

"Hey, let's get something to eat," Hachiouji said. He made a beeline for the roasted corn vendor, Takuya following.

After Hachiouji's successful acquisition of corn and his own of okonomiyaki, they walked around the little wooded area of the shrine. Takuya asked, "We've known each other a long time, haven't we?"

Hachiouji, a full ear of roasted corn halfway to his face, said, "Sure. Since just about the first day of first year."

"And our prospects are good this year, with Coach and the training."

"Finally, after all that time." Hachiouji nodded, the corn stopped just before his mouth. 

"The new first years, and how some of the returning second years are coming along."

Hachiouji eyed his corn longingly, but turned to Takuya, as if waiting to hear him out.

"I'm really glad, I'm doing this with you. I - " A hard push from behind caused Takuya to stumble - and when he looked up, a large man in a soccer jersey walked by. 

"Watch yourself!" Hachiouji said, sharply, irritated lines radiating over his eyes. 

"Sorry," the man said.

Hachiouji gave the guy a funny look, and then turned back to Takuya. "You were saying?"

The moment was gone, extinguished with a shove and a few hard words. Takuya abandoned his plan. "I - I really think we could win, and go all the way to Hanazono."

"I do, too," Hachiouji said, his voice confident.

"You think?"

Hachiouji smiled, and then shoved the whole ear of corn into Takuya's mouth, swapping it for the plate of okonomiyaki. "Yeah, I really do."

Takuya startled, nearly choking, and he almost spit it out - but then he looked at Hachiouji, who was laughing at him, mouth full of Takuya's okonomiyaki, moisture gathering in the upturned corners of his eyes. 

With a funny tenderness, Hachiouji said, "Of course I believe that. I believe in you." 

"Mutsumi, I - I " 

Hachiouji looked at him, smiling, and Takuya just. His heart, which had fought against such odds and so much loss and his own inadequacies and still managed to rise, quailed against speaking the words that pressed up against the backs of his teeth, behind his lips. How good Hachiouji looked. How happy. Takuya couldn't ruin that moment, not with something like that, not in this crowd, not with his mouth full of food. 

"Thanks, Mutsumi." He took the corn and ate it with relish.

* * *

_Sixth try._

They were going to go to Hanazono!

This final game, against Sagami High, had been a tight one. Jinko had proven that in the course of a single season, they could rise and fight and win against this team - this team that bent the rules so hard, it was a wonder they didn't snap under all that pressure.

And Takuya had grabbed Hachiouji at the first moment he could, and they were both tearing up and he blurted, "I love you!"

Hachiouji had laughed and said, "I love you more!" They embraced, almost sobbing in the mess of emotions that grabbed them.

Later, it was Takuya who had twisted it somehow, unable to repeat it in front of the entire squad, while Hachiouji had smiled, his cheeks pushing his eyes into an upward curl.

Coach had had to leave early, Gion complained about the lack of a proper celebratory dinner, but the team went home happy, if tired, full of themselves and chatter about the recent game. In contrast, a silence hung between Takuya and Hachiouji. It wasn't very noticeable during the return train, but then there was the usual walk, and an odd, lactonic parting at Hachiouji's house. Takuya tried to act as if nothing had changed, even as he noticed there was no conversation about the future tournament, none of the usual rehashing of the game. 

And Takuya cursed himself, his head downcast, staring at the concrete sidewalk as he continued onto his house. If there was any time to have said something, today would have been the time. The drama of the win, all the tears and crying. That would have made it something to remember. But he just couldn't do it.

When he came into the house, his father was making dinner. They talked about the game, the win, the plans they would need to make. That evening, he ate a quiet meal with his father. They spoke a little about work, about school, about rugby. Takuya finished eating and cleared the table. He wasn't feeling great. Maybe he should start getting ready for bed.

His father had nearly finished washing the dishes when the door flung open and his mother walked in, calling, "Taku! Congratulations!" She bore a small cake in her hands. "Sorry it took so long - I got out of work late and the bakery didn't have anything for rugby, so I just had them write Jinko Rugby Team."

"Thanks, mom."

She smiled up at him, "It's wonderful. Taku. If only I could have brought something to the whole team. Do you want to bring something next time you meet?"

"Hachiouji - "

She nodded. "Of course. I'll call Mrs. Hachiouji - we'll do something for the next practice. Maybe talk to your coach first. After all, you're the captains, and it would be nice for the team, right?"

Takuya thanked his mom and his dad, and promised to say something to Hachiouji. They sat down at the table, his mom having cut the cake into a few pieces. It was a vanilla with chocolate icing. It looked like a good cake, something Hachiouji might like. Takuya looked down at the cake in front of him. He wished, wished, wished, Hachiouji was there with him.

"You're not eating, Taku."

He looked up at his mother. "Hey, Mom?"

"Taku?"

"Can I - can I take some to Mutsumi?"

She smiled. "Sure."

He stood up, and grabbed the cake box.

"You're going now?" his father asked.

"I - Sorry. I just. Gotta share." Takuya went out of the house, cake box in hand.

"Tell Mutsumi I said hello," his mother called.

* * *

_Two-Point Conversion._

The entire walk over, Takuya hurried back along the grey concrete, vaguely aware of the swift clouds moving in front of the half-moon. He would have known this walk blindfolded. Once he got to the small house, he put the cake down in the yard and threw a handful of pebbles at the window.

Hachiouji, looking sleepy, irritable, opened his window. "What?" 

"I just needed to tell you something," Takuya said.

"What?" Hachiouji sighed. "Is it important?"

"Yeah."

"All right, then. Give me a sec." A moment later, Hachiouji opened the door, in rumpled t-shirt and soft cotton sleep pants, rubbing his eyes. "What is it that can't wait?"

Takuya looked down, embarrassed. He saw the bakery box, picked it up and offered it. "And I brought you some cake. My mom says hi." 

"Yeah, yeah, very funny." Hachiouji yawned. "Thank your mom for me."

"You know what I think of you, don't you?" Takuya began.

"Is this about that last tackle? Or about the starting positions for the tournament? It's not until the end of the year, and we won't know for a while what the brackets are going to be - "

"No, no, no." 

"Then what?"

Quickly, he mumbled, "I love you." 

Hachiouji's eyes widened, as if abruptly awakened. "What?"

Awkwardly, Takuya gave a little shrug. "So, I'm going to go now- "

"Get back here." Hachiouji reached forward and grabbed Takuya's bicep in a firm grip. "We're going to settle this once and for all."

And there, dragged into the familiarity of Hachiouji's family's kitchen, sitting in the ordinary, plain wooden chair at the well-known table of plain wood, with the light coming off that weird, ugly overhead light fixture, the half-moon visible behind a passing cloud, Takuya felt incredibly self-conscious. He placed the cake box on the table.

"Now," Hachiouji said, standing at the head of the table, arms crossed in front of him, frowning, looking even more intimidating than when he stood on a pitch in full uniform. "Repeat what you just said."

Raising his hand to the back of his neck, Takuya mumbled. "I brought you some cake."

"Why did you bring me cake?" 

"Because my mom wanted to celebrate our win and making it to Hanazono. But it wasn't right if you weren't there, if you weren't eating cake with me." Takuya began to warm up, now, finally, to the topic. "You're so important to me. And. You know." He could feel himself go past blushing into overheating. "I want to spend all that time with you, every minute. And if you want that too. That'd be great. I've wanted to for years."

"Oh, yeah? Why haven't you said anything before?" 

"I was always waiting for a good time to tell you, but I never could find it."

Takuya was worried he had blown it when Hachiouji turned away. The light from the refrigerator went on and then went off as he pulled something out of it, and then shut the door behind him. A foil-covered platter was placed on the table. On the foil was taped a note. _Sekizan._

"My mom made fried chicken tonight to celebrate. But it didn't seem right to eat it without you. So, I saved you some."

Takuya's eyes grew. "You - "

"So, you see, I understand." Hachiouji began to smile, a kind of warm, familiar, gracious smile that made Takuya feel like everything was perfect. "Of course I want to spend every minute with you. I've wanted it since I met you."

"You did?"

"I did."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Hachiouji sighed. "Everybody wants you, Sekizan. I wasn't certain I could handle it if you didn't want me."

"I worried about that, too! There were so many times I thought I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to ruin things."

"I know," Hachiouji said. "You're my best friend. I couldn't lose that. And if we start -" he gulped a little and looked worried. "I don't want to lose you. No matter what. I'd rather say nothing than that."

"No. We won't lose this," Takuya said. He reached forward and grabbed Hachiouji's hand. "Not after all we've been through. Winning, playing rugby, everything is better with you." Ruefully, he said, "Even losing games is better with you."

"What were you waiting for?" Hachiouji asked.

"I don't know. The perfect moment, maybe. I guess there isn't such a thing - because if there was, I would have told you earlier today after that win, or last year, or when we had more time." Takuya returned, "What were you waiting for?"

"Half a cake and cold fried chicken, I guess," Hachiouji said, half-laughing. "You want some? Now?"

Realizing he was starving for cake and for chicken, Takuya nodded.

"Let me get some plates," Hachiouji turned toward the cabinets.

Takuya quickly stood up, blocking Hachiouji's way. He was starving for something else. "But first - "

Hachiouji's eyebrows rose, and he then nodded, a quick, nervous bob of his head, a small smile on his face.

In the kitchen, by the ordinary wooden table and chairs, under the most ordinary of lights, they leaned toward each other, their breaths quickening. Softly, Takuya asked, "Is this okay?"

"This is the most okay," Hachiouji said. "This is the absolutely most okay."

Takuya put his arms around Hachiouji, spent a second trying to figure out how to angle his head, and then paused. 

After a moment, Hachiouji said, "Right now, Sekizan, would be perfect. Like, right now. Do it right n - "

Hachiouji was silenced by Takuya's kiss. It was exactly right, as was the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> The shrine made up, based upon the Shiramine Shrine in Kyoto (which is popularly known as the shrine of the god of sports, mostly soccer), but placed around where the present Morooka Kumano Shrine is located, which sells sports-related good luck tokens and would be closer to Kanagawa.


End file.
